Computing systems may include peripheral devices. Peripheral devices may add to or change the functionality of the computing system. In many cases, peripheral devices are connected to the computing system using an interconnect. The interconnect may implement a standard bus protocol, such as any of the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) family of bus protocols.
Peripheral devices may be used with a variety of computing systems, operating in a variety of environments, including network environments. In some cases, the computing system and/or its surrounding environment may be highly trusted and very secure. A carefully architected and closely monitored datacenter is one example of an environment that may be highly trusted. In other cases, the computing system and/or its environment may be moderately trusted. A computing system in a private home or located at a school or in a public library is an example of a computing system that may be moderately trusted. In yet other cases, the computing system and/or its environment may be untrusted. A computing system that has been stolen is one example of a computing system that may be untrusted.